Russell Coight headlines Channel 10’s 2017 programming adventures
WHO knew the world needed more Russell Coight?
The resurrection of a hapless travel character, two new Aussie dramas, and a raft of returning reality shows: these are the building blocks of Channel 10’s offerings to viewers in 2017.
Among the new offerings is Ten’s punt on laughs and nostalgia, with the return of comedian Glenn Robbins’ alter-ego Russell Coight after a 15-year absence.
Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures was last seen on Ten in 2002, as an hilarious parody on the adventure travel genre.
Channelling the likes of the Leyland Brothers, Steve Irwin and Harry Butler, but with the bush skills of none of them, Coight would bumble his way through the outback in a mockumentary travel show long on sight gags, self-delusion, self-injury and failed examples of his bushcraft. He’d end each show with the catchcry “So what are we waiting for, let’s get cracking on another All Aussie Adventure”, but his mangled one-liners, scant details, fudged facts and talent for stating the blindingly obvious were what gained him cult status.
Some visitors to Australia didn’t get the joke — and actually thought travel’s antihero was real.
Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventuresleads a modest bag of New Australian content unveiled by Ten for the next year, with Ten CEO Paul Anderson saying their network would concentrate on further increasing its prime time audience by locking in its 7.30pm reality franchises for the year.
“We will create year-round consistency in our 7.30pm franchises, something Ten
has never achieved before,” he said.
“Growth, momentum and consistency have been the hallmark of Ten in recent years and
that will continue in 2017.
THE OTHER NEW AUSSIE ADVENTURES
Ten answered the fans’ demands with the return of Offspring this year, (it’s back in 2017), and will mine that well of affection with new drama Sisters, from the same producers.
Billed as a ‘feel-good family drama’, Sisters will feature an ensemble cast including Barry Otto, Catherine McClements, Maria Angelico, Antonia Prebble, Remy Hii, Dan Spielman, Charlie Garber, Roy Billing, Zindzi Okenyo and Magda Szubanski. Musical theatre star Lucy Durack also joins the cast.
Ten’s other big drama offering is Wake In Fright, a two-part adaptation of Kenneth Cook’s classic Australian novel of the same name.
Meanwhile, Ten has again joined forces with Foxtel to capitalise on the social media success and popularity of fly-on-the-wall reality show Gogglebox Australia (also renewed) with new show, Common Sense.
Basically, it’s Gogglebox taken out of the loungeroom and into the workplace. It will feature a regular cast of real people and their unfiltered opinions on the week’s most talked-about news topics as they chat with their workmates.
Ten has also used the departure of Michelle Bridges and Steve “Commando” Willis from The Biggest Loser to relabel, and re-announce, The Biggest Loser: Transformed.
The reboot of the franchise will be hosted by Fiona Falkiner with trainers Shannan Ponton and Libby Babet.
THEY’RE BACK
Ten didn’t set any ratings records this year, but was also exempt from some of the failed show experiments seen on rival free-to-air networks. Australian Survivor was Ten’s biggest gamble, and that successful experiment leads a long list of reality offerings already renewed for 2017.
They include more MasterChef Australia, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, and The Bachelor and The Bachelorette Australia.
In drama, Asher Keddie and Kat Stewart are back for season seven of Offspring, and Jess Marais returns with The Wrong Girl.
NEW FROM OVERSEAS
Ten’s imports for 2017 include new US hit series This Is Us which follows a group of people, some of whom were born on the same day, as their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in surprising ways. It stars Mandy Moore (A Walk To Remember), Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) and Sterling. K. Brown (The People V.O.J. Simpson).
24: Legacy is a spin-off of the original 24 series and stars The Walking Dead’s Corey Hawkins, and Aussie actress Miranda Otto.
Bull is a legal drama starring former NCIS star Michael Weatherly as the head of a trial consulting firm who uses psychology, human intuition and hi-tech data to learn what makes juries, lawyers witnesses and criminals tick.
Man With A Plan is a new comedy featuring former Friends star Matt LeBlanc, and legal thriller Doubt stars former Greys Anatomy star Katherine Heigl.
SPORT
Ten will kick off its popular Big Bash cricket coverage from December 20, with 25 Big Bash League matches in 40 days. The network will also broadcast 12 Women’s Bash League games from December 10.
In motorsport, the network has The Australian Grand Prix and other key Formula One coverage and Supercars events including the Bathurst 1000.
In rugby, Ten will screen three matches as part of the June 2017 Test Series; all of the Wallabies’ matches in the Rugby Championship; and a third match against New Zealand.
This Is Us trailer2:27
Trailer for NBC's new series This Is Us, airing in Australia on Channel 10. Courtesy: NBC
Originally published as Ten brings back Russell Coight